Gudi Padwa 2026: A major celebration among Marathi and Konkani believers, Gudi Padwa marks the first day of the Hindu calendar. Celebrated as the first day of the Chaitra month, it is popularly known as Samvatsara Padvo, which translates to ‘the first day of the new Samvat’.
Samvatsara is a 60-year-long cycle, dependent on the position of the planet Jupiter. Each year in the Samvatsara cycle has a specific name assigned to it and carries a certain prediction for the nature of a new Samvat.
Gudi Padwa 2026 Shubh Muhurat – All you need to know
According to Drik Panchang, Gudi Padwa falls on the first day of the Chaitra month or the Pratipada. Starting on Thursday, March 19, it is a day of celebration, family rituals, and togetherness.
Gudi Padwa also symbolises the arrival of spring, prosperity, and the victory of good over evil. ‘Gudi’ which is a flag, is hoisted at the time of sunrise. Believers make rangolis and prepare traditional sweets like puran poli to mark a fruitful harvest season ahead.
Other rituals include drawing rangoli, decorating one’s house, and worshipping the gudi during Gudi Puja. The shubh muhurat or the auspicious hours for the religious rituals begin at 6:53 AM IST with the placement of the gudi, which can be ideally placed till 7:57 AM IST.
The Pratipada ends on Friday, March 20, at 4:52 AM IST. The Brahma Muhurat will begin at 4:51 AM IST and end at 5:39 AM, with the Vijay Muhurat starting at 2:30 PM and ending at 3:18 PM IST.
A gudi typically includes a bamboo stick, an orange silk cloth, neem leaves, mango leaves, and a copper vessel. A special concoction of neem, jaggery, and carom seeds is prepared as an offering during the rituals.
In the Kannada-speaking states, Gudi Padwa is celebrated as ‘Yugadi’ or ‘Ugadi’. These festivals also coincide with the beginning of the 9 holy days of Navratra or Chaitra Navrata, one of the most auspicious periods in the Hindu Calendar. It will end with Ram Navami, a day which symbolises the birth of Lord Ram.